Everton in chaos! Ancelotti sues ex-club as three board members quit

Everton in CHAOS: Ex-manager Carlo Ancelotti sues the club, under-fire board members quit and chairman Bill Kenwright’s future hangs in balance on tumultuous day at Goodison Park

  • Everton announced the departures of three key board members on Monday
  • It was also revealed that Ancelotti is suing his old club over a contract dispute 
  • The Toffees are expected to clarify Kenwright’s future in the next 24 hours 

Everton plunged into yet more chaos on Monday as it emerged they are being sued by former manager Carlo Ancelotti and three board members quit.

Chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale, finance director Grant Ingles and club legend Graeme Sharp, who had a non-executive role, issued a joint statement to announce their departures.

There has been speculation about their future for most of the last six months — neither they nor chairman Bill Kenwright have attended a match at Goodison Park since January 4 — but the announcement is still highly significant. 

It played out against the remarkable backdrop of Real Madrid boss Ancelotti — who was in charge of Everton between December 2019 and June 2021 — taking the club to the High Court over ‘general commercial contracts and arrangements’.

Court documents do not go into specifics on the claim. However, Mail Sport has learned of a dispute between Ancelotti and Everton over a tax issue linked to a £2million bonus payment made to him.

Former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti is taking legal action against the club over contracts 

The Toffees are entering a period of exclusivity with MSP Sports Capital about obtaining investment in the club 

Directors including Graeme Sharp (second left) and Denise Barrett-Baxendale have left 

The future of chairman Bill Kenwright will be made clearer in the next 48 hours say the club 

For a club that has been hampered with financial struggles in recent years, this is the last thing they need. Everton only preserved their Premier League status on the final day of the season after one of the most toxic and controversial period in the club’s modern history.

Barrett-Baxendale, Ingles, Sharp and Kenwright were told to stay away from Goodison ahead of a game against Southampton on January 14 and the advice remained for the rest of the season.

Angry fans staged protests demanding majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri sack the board to help the club progress and yesterday’s departures will be well received in many quarters.

But there is no disguising the trio’s sadness in the statement, which added: ‘We have all been fully committed during our time here and are disappointed to have made the decision to leave Everton.

‘We have worked tirelessly alongside our chairman in what has been a challenging period to deliver some of the most significant projects in Everton’s history — projects that will safeguard and sustain the commercial future of the club for generations to come.

‘It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as directors. We would like to thank everyone who has supported us during our time here. We wish the club we have loved to serve every success in the future.’

Talks on Kenwright’s future are ongoing and Everton will release a statement in the next 48 hours.

The club could be forced to sell key players like Jordan Pickford in the summer window 

Kenwright said of the departures: ‘This has been a great board who have all worked tirelessly for the club, no matter what the circumstances. My relationship with Denise has been known as one of the closest in football. I thank her for her many achievements, particularly her magnificent work in respect of our new stadium.’

Everton have entered into a period of exclusivity with MSP Sports Capital about obtaining investment that would safeguard the completion of building their new £500million stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock and this development confirms significant changes are coming.

George Downing, a local property magnate and lifelong Evertonian, and Andy Bell, another Evertonian who founded the financial platform AJ Bell, have been linked with potential roles on a new board but no offers have been forthcoming.

It is now highly likely Everton will need to sell players, with England keeper Jordan Pickford and Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana attracting interest.


Source: Read Full Article